Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

NAGUMO Speaks!
“Urgent Employment Measures” announced by the Government

1. The Japanese government announced its urgent employment measures on 23rdof October. The unemployment rate recorded the worst-ever level of 5.7%last July and the most recent rate of August still recorded the levelof 5.5%, even though the rate has been lowered to a certain extent. Ithas significant meaning and is appreciated that the new Hatoyama governmentdispatched a message to the people by announcing concrete measures for realizing“a society where each of the people can achieve security, safety and a lifeworth living”.
2. The measures are formulated from three viewpoints: 1) immediate responseto the situation, 2) the highest priority given to the poor, the needyand new graduates and 3) job creation to tackle on a full scale. Themeasures concretely specify urgent supports for job seekers and smalland medium- sized enterprises, promotion of job creation in the field ofnursing care, green jobs and community jobs, building-up of arrangementsfor pushing forward such employments, thoroughness in information supplyand publicity to the people and others.
3. RENGO has promoted various activities on the issues of employment sinceAutumn last year. RENGO submitted the following letters of requests tothe new Hatoyama government; on 17th September, just next day of theinauguration of the government, “A Letter of Request for StrengtheningCurrent Employment Measures”, and then on 15th October “Urgent Demands fromRENGO” and on 19th October “A Letter of Request for Urgent Employment Measures”,in which RENGO demanded the government 1) to strengthen the measuresfor the upkeep and security of employment, 2) to strengthen the functionof the social safety net, 3) to strengthen the measures for job creationthrough promoting “a Japanese version of Green New Deal Policy”, 4) to expandhuman resources development and training, 5) to set up national and local“Tripartite Conference on Employment Measures among Government, Workers andEmployers” (tentative name) and 6) to take other measures. This government’sannouncement was made to respond immediately to the demands of RENGO.
4. However, because the government employment measures were urgently puttogether by making use of existing measures and budgets, they have putoff budgetary measures for reviewing requirements for the governmentalsubsidy to the enterprises for their employment adjustment and other measureswhich RENGO demanded on the basis of the request of its affiliates. Theprospect for the future employment and unemployment situation is still severeand some estimations show that unemployment rate will go up over 6%.RENGO will grapple with the upkeep and security of employment and job creation,together with RENGO’s affiliates and its locals, carefully keeping itseyes on the outcome of the future employment situation in close cooperationwith the government.